Just 3 Things | #22

I've been all over the place this week. I started making the inside of the house look more spring-like. Then, we had snow flurries and I just left the bin with the bunnies sitting on a chair and gave up. So, I'm about half-springy. I picked up the chair for our bedroom from the upholsterer. I share more about that next week. I spent a couple of afternoons running errands and taking care of farm business. I finally finished up the calculating and filed our tax return. So, it has been a week of this and that.

- What I've Been Loving -

As I was sewing up rips and repairing a few items the other day, I grew frustrated with my sewing machine. It was an inexpensive purchase and has served me well. However, the reverse button is broken and I am having to make-do with stitching, turning, stitching, turning to make a reverse stitch. There's another quirk or two when stitching that I've noticed but I don't use it all that much. I'm now asking myself if I don't sew much because I got out of the habit when I was working full time or if it is because of my sewing machine being sub-par. I did a quick search online and learned that the machine I would like to have is quite pricey. So, I'm ruminating over whether I should invest in a new machine or limp along and not sew much.

As the algorithms do, now I am seeing all sorts of sewing machine information and sewing ideas. One rabbit hole I went down as a result of this is a quilting one. Now, let me say right here that I am not a quilter at heart. I have tried it and I am not a big fan. Maybe I would enjoy it more if I did it with a sewing machine but I am not a hand-quilter. I don't make tidy little stitches that would make a quilt look pretty and I am not satisfied with how my large, gawking ones would look. So, I'm not a quilter.

What I did notice, however, is several table runners, placemats, and pot holders that I absolutely love and am probably going to give a try. I watched a couple of video tutorials about making quilted potholders. I liked some of the techniques that both of these gals showed. I probably will start with making a potholder because the ones I have are a bit sad looking. I liked that one of the videos shows using a towel as the backing. I have some towels that have sad looking edges. So, I might cut those up and use them for backing. 

I also noticed some tote bags that were beautiful but that is something that I think I would have to work up to in order to be satisfied with the outcome. I also noticed some cute pillow cases. So, family members might get pillow cases for gifts. We shall see. At any rate, I've really been loving the ideas that are popping up in my social media feeds!

- What I've Been Reading -

Someone on social media recently was touting the wonderfulness of Elin Hilderbrand's The Perfect Couple. I think it might have been because the book is the fodder for a streaming series. I also noticed that the book and another in the series of four books was offered for a low, low price as a Kindle read. So, I added them to my Kindle library. I paused because these two books were numbers two and three in the series and I wondered whether I'd be lost by not reading book one. So, I chased it down and borrowed it through my Libby App. 

I have read Hilderbrand's work before and remembered that experience as beach reads and somewhat light. Perhaps this one is similar but it is just with the subject matter that I am struggling. I was barely one-fourth in and was already exasperated with the main character and disliking her and her choices. I'm not sure if I will finish this one and am wondering if I will have the mindset to move on to the other two books in the series that I downloaded. I'm on the struggle bus here. I am not giving up, yet, but time will tell.

- What I've Been Working On -

I've been trying out some recipes that I've been saving and marking in the cookbooks I've been sorting and reading. I made a version of a Shepherd's Pie that I hadn't tried before and tried a baked spaghetti casserole. There used to be a local restaurant called HRH Dumplin's. It was what I would call a ladies luncheon sort of place. They served salads, sandwiches, and individual casseroles. Of course, they had delicious apple dumplings for dessert. I guess most women are busy working these days and don't have time to go somewhere for a luncheon because that sort of restaurant is long gone for the most part - at least around here, I think. 

As a young girl, I remember my mother baking apple dumplings and hers were much more delicious than the ones offered at any restaurant. I have thought about those sweet treats and even asked her for a recipe at one time and she couldn't find hers. This week I finally decided to dive in and give making dumplings a try. I used this recipe rather loosely. Here are some of the changes I made:

• I bought refrigerated pie crust dough for a double crust pie. I cut each round into quarters. 
• I used Granny Smith apples and peeled them and cut them into bite-sized pieces.
• I saved the peels and boiled them but will not mess with that again. Instead, I will melt the red candies with a cup of water, a stick of butter, and the cinnamon and sugars that the recipe used.

My version of Apple Dumplings

The candies makes them a beautiful red color and add some spiciness to the sauce. They really turned out pretty and were tasty as well.  I didn't think about making photos so that I could share my recipe - maybe next time I make them. I didn't even think of taking a photo at all until Mike and I had dipped ours out of the dish. So, the photo above shows off only a corner of the dish that was left. Mike absolutely loved them! He told me that he could have eaten the entire dish of eight dumplings. They tasted just like I remember the ones my mother made. So, I loved them as well. I must say that I understand why Mama didn't make them very often. They are more trouble than just making an apple pie or apple cobbler. I do think they are worth the effort, though. Working in the kitchen is always a good thing, though!

I'm in the throes of washing sheets and quilts and pillows and such. Yes, I still do some spring cleaning but this is more of a wash up to get rid of any germs that might be lingering from all of our coughing. Mike and I both spent a bit of time sleeping in the bed last night instead of sitting in chairs to sleep to prevent coughing. Plus, the weather is warming up as we go into the weekend; so, I'm hoping we are past this sickness mess and spring really is upon us. Hope your weekend is delightful!

Another Activity

When I went over to visit the new granddaughter during my fall break, I took some fall cookie cutters and some fall-colored sprinkles.  Harris and I made some sugar cookies and added some sprinkles.

Some made it onto the cookies.

Lots made it onto the counter.

Lots made it onto the floor.

Just what parents of a newborn and a four-year-old want - a grandmother who comes and makes another mess for them to clean up.

Harris thought the cookies were great and they were tasty.  Boy, they were a mess, though.

Then, I got these photos the other day:

Bryan referenced the sprinkles as "the gift that keeps on giving."

Not Quite Like I Remember...

My mother has made a sweet treat called Chess Cake for as long as I can remember.  She included the recipe in a notebook of collected recipes that she has shared with all us women in the family.  So, when we planned a recent party for my niece, Megan, these sweet treats became a part of the menu.

Bryan volunteered to grill up some pulled pork bar-b-que.  Jessica volunteered to stir up some slaw.  I picked up some chips, corn-light-bread, and baked some beans.  Bridgette suggested a simple dessert of brownie bites, and she and Jessica volunteered to bake them.  I decided to add a bit of variety to the dessert table for those crazy people nutty folks family members who might not want chocolate and dug into the recipe archive for Mama's Chess Cake recipe.  I checked the pantry and gathered my ingredients.  Then, I read the recipe through to make certain this was what I remembered from days gone by.

That's when I noticed the last instruction on the recipe Mama had provided.  It said:

Cut and roll in powdered sugar while still hot.

I NEVER recalled these sweet treats including that step.

I hesitated.

I pondered.

Then, I called Mama to make certain I had the correct recipe in front of me.  After all, I was serving this to guests and I didn't want to make a mistake about a delicious dessert.

She assured me that the recipe was indeed the correct one and the treats would turn out just as I recalled from days gone by.

Then, I mentioned that I NEVER remember having these with the powdered sugar step.

Her response - and I quote:

Well, I might have done that the first time I made them but I didn't think all that was necessary after that.

I informed Mama that I felt really deprived.

I informed her that I felt cheated.

I informed her that I felt misled.

She just giggled and suggested that I sprinkle them with some powdered sugar and it would be fine.

If you want to give them a try, you can find the recipe HERE.

A Little Along

Mike and I are having a Thanksgiving Feast right here at home this year.  Mama and Daddy changed up the day of their feast to try to accommodate some of the family but we already had plans.  So, the two of us will be feasting right here at home on Thursday.  We are not doing anything nearly so elaborate as the year we tackled Big Tom.  However, there are a few things that just mean Thanksgiving Feast to us.  So, on the menu this year for us is:

Turkey

Southern Cornbread Dressing

Sweet Potato Casserole

Green Bean Casserole

Macaroni and Cheese

Cranberry Salad

Home-made Rolls

Pecan Pie

With a menu like that, we will eat rich all next week, probably!  Today I've stirred up the Cranberry Salad, 

the Southern Cornbread for the dressing, 

and cooked the sweet potatoes.  I figure if I do a little bit each day this week I won't be exhausted.  

Baking Up Some Goodness

When our three granddaughters spent the day with us last weekend, we tried to do some run-of-the-mill things to entertain them.  They usually seem to like to spend time in the kitchen cooking with me.  So, Lydia and I made Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies.

Basically, the Kitchenaid did the mixing as I dumped in ingredients and Lydia scooped out the dough.

Scoop after scoop she dipped and plopped onto the cookie sheet.

We baked them up and everybody chowed down.

Inspiration

Where does inspiration come from for you?

I thought I hadn't posted here for a while because I was waiting for inspiration.  However, this morning, I realized that is not the case.  I read another blogger's post which made me realize that sometimes we fall into a funk and don't feel inspired to post.

The funk just seems to take over.  It consumes our home.  It consumes our work.  It consumes everything around us.  It consumes.

So, what was so inspirational to me about reading another person's post about being in a funk?

I realized that she had so eloquently worded exactly what I am feeling.  Caroline Teselle said:

You see, there’s a situation going on in my life right now that I cannot write about here because it’s not my story to tell but it affects me deeply.  To the core.

What do you do when it’s not your story to tell?  You keep your mouth shut & pray.

Just because I’m keeping my mouth shut doesn’t mean my mind shuts off, it’s basically following me around like a Pig Pen cloud of dust, you know, like Charlie Brown’s friend that’s constantly surrounded by a cloud of dust.  That’s how I feel.  My internal processor has exploded in a cloud of dust.

It isn't that I don't want to do something about the situation.  It isn't that I cannot do something about the situation.  The real fact of the matter is that the consequences of the options I see do not seem to be ones I want to tackle right now.  So, I have decided to keep my mouth shut even more.  I am lifting the situation up in prayer and anticipating what He will do and what He will guide me to do.

In the meantime, what am I doing about lifting myself up out of a funk?  Well, like Caroline, I am trying several things:

1. Read

• I have been a reader from a very young age.  I was reading before I went to school at age five.  I have been reading professional literature - I call it how-to-be-a-better-teacher books, journal articles, blog posts, e-books.  I have been reading home improvement/decorating blog posts.  I have been reading biographies and memoirs.  I have been reading estate-planning and will-making publications (because it is past time to update mine).  I have been reading appliance ratings and reviews (because our dryer is on its last leg).  I have been reading edgy novels which provoke thinking and mystery novels and purely fluff novels about human relationships.  And, of course, I have been reading my Bible.
• I find that reading is something that takes me away from whatever is interfering with my inner peace.  So, I am falling into books where other worlds are opened to me.
• I love having a small local branch of the library nearby and I am a consistent patron.  The selections are limitless and the variety is abundant.  If our little branch doesn't house a particular title, simply request it and in a couple of days the item is there waiting for you to pick up at the desk.  The best part is - there is no cost.  FREE!

2. Work

• I have been spending long hours trying to get caught up, trying to get more done, trying to learn more, trying to share more with the teachers I support.  I have been searching for new ideas and planning new professional development sessions.  I have added new aspects to my already full 'dance card' by consciously posting more on social media relating to education and have even begun a professional blog (more on that another day).  
• I love my job and feel such a purpose at the end of most days.  I feel like what I do matters to somebody else and that, to me, is the reason we are put here on earth - to do something that matters to somebody else.

3. Bake

• I have been putting my new mixer and cookbooks to work.  I have delved into old recipes and found a wonderful one for yeast rolls.  I baked cinnamon rolls.  I baked a new kind of brownies.  I baked a corn casserole.  I baked a loaf of beer bread.  It has been a month of baking!
• I find that baking and cooking is one of those make-something-from-scratch sort of crafts which helps me feel like I am creative.  The added benefit of baking and cooking is that somebody else enjoys the outcome.  (Of course, there is also the drawback that it generally leads to added pounds but I'm not facing that one, yet.)

4. Clean

• Clothes hardly loose the shape of our bodies these days before I am stuffing them into the washer.  We wear more clothes in winter than we do in summer - for obvious reasons - layering.  So, it seems there is more to wash.  My mother instilled in me to get the highest quality clothes you can afford and have fewer garments over all.  Water and soap are inexpensive, she said.  We are not minimalists but we do seem to get by with less than some folks have in their wardrobe.
• The dishes seem to be yelling at me to get them washed up and stored away in a cabinet.  Nothing can be left on the counter or in the sink - not even a lowly glass for the drink of water before bed.  The beds must be made and pillows fluffed and positioned just so.  The bathrooms are fully stocked with soap, shampoo, fresh towels, and TP.
• Obviously I am cleaning and controlling what I can because there are things that I cannot.

5. Shop

• I am not the woman who loves to wander the mall or stop off a couple of afternoons at discount stores and outlets to see what the newest trends and offerings are on the sale rack.  I don't like dealing with the traffic.  I don't like dealing with the crowds of people who are competing for the newest, trendiest, cutest.  I am the woman who sometimes browses Goodwill or consignment shops or antique malls.  I don't even frequent those places but there are times when I just need to get out and see new scenery and find it interesting to see what is available in that kind of market.
• I am more of a window shopper...actually a virtual window shopper.  I love browsing Pinterest, gathering ideas from creative bloggers, wandering through online catalogues, and sometimes perusing hard copy magazines and catalogues.  Again, I rarely ever buy but I do lots of dreaming and idea collecting.

6. Laugh

• I have been doing lots of laughing and making merry when I am in the office with my co-workers.  We giggle at silly things and send one another goofy messages which pop up on our computer screens while we work diligently.  
• Mike and I have been watching comedy episodes on television.  We laugh at the silliness portrayed and, sadly, we relate to the silliness with our own and our family experiences.  When we really stop and look at the world, we are all quite a bit alike and do some of the goofiest things.

7. Sleep

• I cannot seem to get enough!  I come inside in the afternoons and could just curl up and snore till morning, I think.  I force myself to prepare a meal, straighten the house, clean out my email inbox and just do a bit of stirring.  It seems that when I sit down, I doze off.  I cannot tell how many evenings I've awakened on the couch and climbed into bed.  Then, on the weekend, I NEED to sleep late - really late.

8. Cry

• I have been pretty drippy.  I cry over a poignant commercial.  Enough said.

9. Write

• Even though I haven't been blogging, I have been writing...and writing...and writing.  After all, I am not certain of what I think until I put it into words.

10. Question

• I find that the more questions I ask, the more I learn about others, and the more I focus on others.  I have been questioning students, teachers, peers, and strangers.  Can you explain what you are doing?  Why are you doing that?  Do you think there is another way to...?  What do you believe to be true about...?  What do you anticipate...?  What do you think will happen in the future?  How will _____ impact our lives?

11. Absorb quietness

• I don't get a lot of that these days.  When I do, I try my darnedest to just be and not think or do.  Sometimes the quiet will bring me peace and, in turn, I can bring peace to somebody else.
• I've turned off the television.  I've left the radio off.  I've even hung clothes to dry so I don't have to listen to the dryer squeek.

12. Pray

• This, of course, is the most productive of all the things I could do.  Pray.  I pray for myself.  I pray for others.  I just lift up prayers - "Dear God, you know what I should be praying about more than I do.  Please let my silence be a time when these prayers are lifted up even though I am not aware of what they are."  Sometimes, my conversation with God needs to be a time when I am listening and absorbing.

What else do I NEED to be doing to lift myself out of this funk?

1.  Exercising 

2.  Planning a vegetable garden

3.  Cleaning out closets

4.  Decluttering

5.  Crafting

6.  Spending time with children

What inspires you to pull yourself up out of a funk?  Is there somebody like Caroline Teselle who nudges you?

Handy, Dandy, Fancy, Schmancy, Useful

One of these things is not like the others...

I know that is what this seems to be.

Yet, in all actuality, they really are all alike.

You see, they all are descriptors for my Christmas gift from Mike!

It is a beauty!

I have used it to make Wedding Cookies, bread, and sausage balls so far.   (Click on the links for the recipes.)  It is a work horse.  It is easy to clean.  I love it!